Engineering Physicsat Augustana College
Graduates earn $54,165/yr in their first year — about 10.0% below the national Engineering Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $576K; scenarios range from $528K to $587K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Augustana College
Augustana's Engineering Physics program offers a robust theoretical foundation, blending deep scientific principles with engineering applications. This unique interdisciplinary approach prepares you for complex problem-solving, but your initial career trajectory might differ from graduates of more traditional engineering disciplines, especially within the regional Quad Cities labor market. While you'll develop versatile analytical skills, the local industry landscape, which includes manufacturing and defense, may offer entry-level positions that don't command the same starting salaries found in major tech hubs where other similar programs are located. The "Very High" AI risk for this field suggests that pure analytical or modeling tasks will increasingly be augmented. Therefore, focusing on interdisciplinary applications, practical project experience, and developing strong communication and collaboration skills will be critical to leveraging your Augustana education into long-term career growth. Seek internships early to bridge the gap between theory and industry demands.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Augustana College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Engineering Physics
How Augustana College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Augustana College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Augustana College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Engineering Physics at Augustana College
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Engineering Physics at Augustana College?
A score of 42/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Engineering Physics. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Engineering Physics careers?
With 52% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $528,390 in decade earnings vs $586,600 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Is Augustana College a hidden gem for Engineering Physics?
After financial aid, the average student pays $49,748 over four years — 75% below the $199,336 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.